Prior art aircraft have provided various linkage mechanisms for deflecting the flaps of the wings to decrease the stall speed and increase the drag control surfaces for controlling the flight of aircraft. Such aircraft, in their most common configuration, include a pair of asymmetrically deflectable ailerons mounted on the outboard trailing edges of respective wings for controlling the roll of the aircraft, an elevator mounted on the trailing edge of the horizontal stabilizer for controlling the pitch of the aircraft, a rudder mounted on the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer for controlling the yaw of the aircraft and a pair of symmetrically deflectable flaps mounted on the inboard trailing edges of respective wings for decreasing the stall speed and increasing the drag of the aircraft. However, other control surfaces less commonly used include flaperons which are essentially ailerons that are asymmetrically deflected from either level for a downwardly deflected position, thus combining the functions of flaps and ailerons, and spoilers that are mounted on the wings and symmetrically deflected to reduce the lift of the wings. All of these components, among others, are known as "control surfaces."
The above-described control surfaces are generally designed for thick wings and stabilizers that are typically used in commercial-type aircraft. Further, these mechanisms, and the wings and stabilizers in which they are used, have not been designed to optimize the drag performance of the aircraft or to minimize the radar visibility of the aircraft.
Newer military-type aircraft are presently being designed which include relatively thinner wings and stabilizers that provide much improved maneuverability of the aircraft. Further, these aircraft are being designed with skin material and structure to minimize radar visibility. Accordingly, prior art linkage mechanisms are inadequate for these wings and stabilizers in that they are generally bulky, they require too much space within the wing or stabilizer, they do not provide adequate deflection of the control surfaces, and they are not capable of being used with control surfaces that minimize visibility to radar.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved linkage mechanism for use with newer military aircraft, which linkage mechanism allows for a thin wing and stabilizer necessary for improved maneuverability, and which has the ability to adequately deflect the control surfaces and which also has outer skin structure necessary to minimize radar visibility of the aircraft.